The Cotton Salsa, also known as The Pudding Pickle

Do you ever wonder what would happen if cotton collided with salsa? I have never given it much thought myself, but the Asylum found out firsthand this morning what transcends when Cotton, a.k.a. Grammy, spices up breakfast with the flavors of Mexico.

I was at work when my twelve-month old son, Emerson, wakened in his bed. My husband was still sleeping from a long night of work so Grammy came to the rescue. She greeted Emerson at his crib and brought him into the kitchen. She is a helper in every way and we are usually very grateful for her assistance. Emerson, on the other hand, might proclaim a different tale if only we could decipher his toddler English.

Grammy decided to feed Emerson pudding for breakfast. It's not the healthiest food item in our fridge, but I guess it works in a pinch. After attempting several times to coax Emer into consuming the yummy pudding, Grammy gave up and went for reinforcements.

She woke Mr. T and promptly informed him, "Your little son won't eat the pudding I gave him. He doesn't like the pudding on the right. He only likes the pudding on the left."

Confused and still a little groggy, Mr. T asked Grammy to show him the pudding she was attempting to feed Emerson. Grammy walked to the fridge, opened the door and removed a small container of "pudding." She then proceeded to drop it, spilling its contents all over the hardwood floor.

After Mr. T cleaned the sticky mess, he gently pointed out a little tidbit that may explain Emerson's aversion to the early morning treat. Grammy may have overlooked the obvious, yet Mr. T was kind to say, "Grammy, this isn't pudding. This is salsa!"

Grammy's response? "Oh, I thought it looked like pudding."

My poor, little baby! All I can think about is that first spoonful of hot, spicy mixed vegetable seething on his sensitive tongue. No wonder he freaked out and fought her every advance. I would have freaked out too if my vanilla pudding bit me back!

Friends, this is only one example of how adventure is always present in the Asylum. Grammy, who was once a popular dance instructor, has now invented the Cotton Salsa. You open the fridge door, take two steps to the left, one step to the right and then do-si-do a container of Cafe Rio salsa and a Hunt's vanilla snack pack. If you can tell them apart after a sashay through the kitchen, you may repeat steps one and four. However, we all know that new dance steps, as well as plastic food containers, can be tricky. You simply cannot trust your senses, or those diabolical little cups, for the exterior packaging, content coloring and flavorful aroma can be misleading. It takes practice and a keen eye, because as we have witnessed here today, even seasoned dance instructors can find themselves in a pickle from time to time.